The first member of JetBrains Academy’s learning experience is Hyperskill, a project-based Java learning platform. For each level of Java knowledge, Hyperskill takes learners through every level of Java comprehension and offers to create small applications built step by step. This combination challenges learners to apply new knowledge to practical solutions and thus get a deeper understanding of programming.

Hyperskill is equally suitable for those who have never tried programming as well as confident users who are yet to build their first real-world application. During onboarding, you choose your level of familiarity with Java and solve a couple of tasks to confirm your competence. The system then constructs a personalized learning path so that you can with equal ease start from a “Hello, World!” or dive into more sophisticated sections. Projects vary from Easy to get beginners started, to Nightmare for the most confident users.

At the moment, Hyperskill is ready to help you learn Java, one of the most powerful and popular general-purpose programming languages. Support for other programming languages is on the way.

Project-based learning

We believe that the best way to learn programming is to build your own project. Hyperskill currently features 25 projects of varying complexity, taking you through coding things like a personal assistant, simple search engine, or text editor. Integrate everything you’ve learned into a working application and get an exciting hands-on experience with Java.

Learn the Java basics by first building the simplest functional version of the chosen project. Go through the topics adding further bells and whistles to each new version of your app. As you learn more, you’ll be able to put all the skills you’ve gained into practice and work toward a fully functional application as the end result.

Completed projects become a valuable addition to your portfolio, helping you demonstrate your new skills to potential employers.

Knowledge Map

To help you stay on track, Hyperskill features a detailed Knowledge Map, which covers all the available Java topics divided into intuitive subsections. The map helps you build a better understanding of the material and how all the parts all connect with each other. Use the Knowledge Map to track your progress and navigate between topics.

Integration with JetBrains tools

A key part of software development is being competent with professional tools, especially with integrated development environments (IDEs). Complete Hyperskill projects inside IntelliJ IDEA Educational Edition and discover development essentials such as file organization, refactorings, build tools, and so much more.
Become experienced with typical developer workflows while learning Java and gaining familiarity with some of the most useful professional tools you’ll soon be using in your career.

What’s the next step?

JetBrains Academy is still in its early development stages. Start learning, build your first project, and tell us what you think. Leave a comment, send us a tweet or write to us at hello@hyperskill.org. Stay tuned – there are big things coming!